(Bu Cai POV)

*Yawn*, I guess it's already time for that, huh.

Yesterday, after running away from Dai Huo, I got home and boxed the Hazy Emerald Grass in a jade container to ensure it stays fresh, then went to sleep.

Now, with the early morning sunlight shining down on me, I dragged myself out of bed drowsily.

For what reason you may ask?

A date.

But not for me (of course).

Yes, you've heard it right...I've cut some of my own precious sleeping time so that I could act as a wingman for a spoiled prince.

*sigh* It really couldn't get any worse than this, could it?

I stretched for a bit after rolling out of the tender bed of mine, then headed straight towards the bathroom to get myself sorted.

I had a short yet comforting bathing session, then brushed my teeth with my whitening concoction so that they are nice and pristine- Though even if I didn't do it, it would be just fine because of cultivation.

After all that, I went to my wardrobe and opted not to dress in my immaculate white robes and black shoes instead, I went for the older and shabbier clothes so I could downplay my handsomeness as much as humanely possible (Though I don't think it's possible in all honesty).

Then I also called in a maid to change my hairstyle to one that doesn't suit me as well.

The reason I have done these things (wear worse clothes and style my hair different) is that for today, and only today, I will not be the focus of attention.

Rather, today would be focused on making Wu Yan, the love-struck teenager, stand out as a true dragon amongst men (In fairness though, he was a true dragon already).

To make him stand out, I must take the fall for him- aren't I just the incarnation of kindness?

Anyways, I then quietly headed out of the mansion at the crack of dawn to meet up with Wu Yan one last time and go over the plans for today's date.

As I left the estate through the front gates, I swerved through multiple streets and alleys until I reached the designated meeting spot that was quite a distance away from the mansion.

The place we choose was, in fact, a small street that was incredibly old.

You could tell by looking that the street had once been floored with stone tiles, however now it had a bunch of missing tiles and some had cracks on them due to the influence of time.

The buildings nearby were only some simple stone houses with nothing particularly extravagant about them- which was a stark contrast to the majority of buildings in the capital.

The street name was revealed by a rusty metal signpost which had the words Lao jiedao* written on it.

This whole street would have been deserted, if not for the fact that a young boy could be seen pacing up and down at one part.

The boy seemed to be very nervous as he was chewing his nails.

Of course, this young boy was the protagonist of today, Wu Yan.

I approached him and called his name a few times, however, it seemed like he was too immersed in his thoughts to hear me. As I got closer, I heard him mumble in a panicked tone,

"...I forgot to tell him about it before. Will he be mad?

"Surely no-"

"Hey!"

I called out to him and interrupted his mumbling and asked curiously,

"What's up?

"Why are you being so paranoid all of a sudden?"

I honestly couldn't tell why he was so shaken. I get that this whole date thing is a first for him, but it's the same for me!

And it's not like I'm quaking in my boots...

...Maybe this is just the difference in maturity.

He responds to me by saying,

"N-Nothing Brother Bu!

"I-I'm just a bit anxious for this outing with Elder Sister Ru.

"Do you think I'll succeed in piquing her interest?!"

I looked at him blankly and said in a blunt tone,

"Pardon me for being direct, but... Are you dumb?

"Let's put aside the fact that you've known her for years and that you're also royalty for a second, and just take into account the fact that it is I, Bu Cai, who had planned this whole date!

"Do you put such little trust in your big brother here, that you've actually asked me to my face whether you will succeed or not?"

Wu Yan froze up after hearing my words and quickly responded whilst waving his hands frantically,

"O-Of course not!

"If I don't trust in my big brother Bu, then who would I trust in?!"

After hearing his response, I put on a large smile and said enthusiastically,

"Precisely, my little brother!

"If that's the case, then what's there to even fear!

"And even if we just briefly gloss over your strong points, it is almost certain you'll capture Chen Ru's heart.

"You are elegant and refined, just like a prince should be, your looks are something many men would die for, and your wealth and status are something only many can dream of!"

"Tell me, Wu Yan, is there anyone more suitable for Chen Ru, a young lady of a major Clan, other than you?!"

A spark of joy seemed to light up in his eyes after hearing my words, and he responded confidently with a smile,

"Of course not!

"I, Wu Yan, will definitely be able to do this!"

*Phew* Thank god I'm adept at motivating others, or else he'd be going into this date as a nervous wreck- which is not ideal, to say the least.

And everything I said there was factual, so he wasn't a bad choice for Chen Ru.

Add on the fact that he's followed my advice on clothing, he could surely do this.

Speaking of clothes, he was currently dressed in an elegant white robe with a dragon running down his shoulder alongside having black and gold coloured shoes- Yeah, I just let him copy me.

But this style worked great with his handsome face, bright blue eyes and golden blond hair. The white robes and black shoes never fail anyone!

After I got him pumped up for this date, we walked around the place whilst discussing the plans.

We walked the route we were going to take throughout the day to make sure everything was absolutely fine, and I also made sure to hammer into him the fact that he must always remain headstrong and confident during the date.

Soon, the time had come.

We both arrived at the area that Chen Ru and I determined for today, which was just a quiet area close to the mansion, and there she was.

Chen Ru had a sophisticated blue robe on. Her face had some light make-up on which further exaggerated her beauty.

Her gorgeous vivid red hair was tied up by a platinum hairpin that had a sapphire gemstone in it that perfectly matched her deep azure eyes and clothing.

She also wore the bracelet I gave her for one of her birthdays a few years ago that was made of spirit silver and had a blood diamond on it.

Overall, she looked like a dainty and graceful lady whose lively charm could entice many people.

I was indeed impressed by her looks, but it didn't shock me too much as I was used to being around her. Though the same thing couldn't be said for our prince, as he was completely enamoured by her looks which could be seen by how his eyes couldn't move from her at all.

I stepped forwards first and cupped my fists then said,

"Greetings Junior Sister, it's great to know you haven't forgotten about our trip.

"I have been looking forward to this trip alongside a beauty such as yourself."

Her face flushed red a bit as she laughed a bit and responded,

"I'd never forget to attend this outing with my senior brother!

Her expression then shifted to one of confusion as she asked,

"Why is Yan Yan here with you?"

I almost burst out laughing after hearing her call this spoiled prince 'Yan Yan', however, I held it back with great effort and said,

"I've known him since a few days ago, and coincidentally I had run into him this morning!

He seemed to be bored and asked if he could hang out with me, Of course, how could I possibly reject?

So I headed over here with him as he told me you both have known one another for a long time!

So I believed it would be even better if he joined us as both you and I know him, and the more the merrier!"

...

Hearing no response yet from Wu Yan, I turned around and...

...The little shit was still in a daze!

I swiftly gave him a nudge which snapped him out of it, and then he automatically said,

"I-I'm sorry for barging into this trip like this, and I hope senior sister would be so kind as to forgive me for this!

Y-You also look very beautiful today!"

Bit wonky, but it's not the worst way of asking.

I look over to Chen Ru and see her smile has changed from a genuine one to a forced one.

Stolen novel; please report.

A moment of silence takes place until it is broken when she says stiffly,

"Of course, you can. It has been a while since we last spent some proper time with each other after all."

Wu Yan didn't seem to realise any change in her happy attitude and his face lit up when Chen Ru agreed to allow him to join.

However, I could tell that she didn't like this- Not one bit.

I somewhat expected this of course, but it's all fine!

After some time together I'm sure it'll get better...probably.

So without wasting any time, I say to both of them,

"I've thought about some particular places around here we could visit, and I wonder whether you would like to hear my suggestions?"

"Yes, Big Brother" "Of course, I would love to, Senior Brother!"

After that, I began to list a few places,

"I've been particularly intrigued by a couple of things I've heard in the past such as the 'Blossoming Fields Of Divinity' and the 'Street Of The Ancients'. After visiting those two sights, I know a place where we could get an incredible meal.

"After getting the food, we could then take it up to one of the nearby hills and eat it whilst looking down over the beautiful and grand capital city.

"How does that sound?"

Chen Ru looked at me with excitement and exclaimed,

"Wow!

"That sounds incredible!

"I can't wait to spend the day with you like that!"

Wu Yan also nodded excitedly.

What is this bastard being excited about?

He already knows the plan!

I then suggested,

"Why don't we go visit the Street Of The Ancients first then, as I think it would be a great way to start things off?"

They both nodded and then, under my leadership, we made our way to the first attraction- The 'Street Of The Ancients'.

We walked there, as it wasn't too far from this place and I thought it was better to take this nice and slowly rather than blitzing through the activities.

On the way, we walked in the order of Chen Ru being in between both Wu Yan and me. Along the way Chen Ru and I were chatting nicely a lot of the time, however, Wu Yan also got into some good conversations with Chen Ru through a little bit of assistance from me.

Luckily, by the time we had arrived the tense expression on Chen Ru's face was gone and everyone was enjoying themselves.

Of course, other than chatting, nothing else happened during the travel.

No assassination attempts, no godly treasure on the ground, or anything like that.

It was a peaceful trip with the refreshing cold morning breeze occasionally blowing on you and the most you'd see were the few early risers out and about, or some patrol cultivators doing their work.

...

Although I had already visited this place a few hours ago, I couldn't help but still be stunned by it.

'The Street Of The Ancients' was a long and very wide street which led to a spacious square area. The square area had five gigantic statues made of different metals spread across it which all had been around since the founding of the empire.

One statue made of true gold represented the founder of the empire and was laid in the middle of all of the other statues- emphasising his importance.

To the right of the gold statue were two other statues.

The one closest to the right was made out of evergreen steel and represented the Chen Family's ancestor. The one furthest to the right was the Xu Family's ancestor which was made of deep-sea true steel.

The one closest to the founder's statue on the left was the Long Family's ancestor and was made of true silver, and the one furthest to the left was the Chi Family's ancestor which was made of crimson true steel.

All these huge statues towering over you in a massive space... forces you to feel in awe.

It's as if these statues were showing you just how mighty these figures are in comparison to your puny self.

I looked around and a few other people were there as well, such as a storyteller who was speaking to a small audience.

The storyteller was an old man with a scruffy grey beard and circular glasses. He told the story of the empire to whoever listened, in his croaky voice,

"Long ago, vicious beasts were the ones who ruled the world. It was a constant struggle for our ancestors to live on in that period of danger and uncertainty.

"Humans were mere livestock in front of the mighty beasts who could level mountains with a mere thought.

"However this all changed when one man, one prodigy, took matters into his hands and fought tooth by nail against the oppressive creatures.

"He brandished his sword and slaughtered millions of monsters alongside many trusted subordinates, and established our great empire!

"He created a place for humans to thrive and live peacefully!

"And that person was Wu Zhen, the founder of the Divine Sword Empire, the god sent saviour of the human race, and the first human to elevate to the status of godhood!"

He seemed to have lost ten years of life in that massive heartfelt speech, as he was panting heavily and reaching for his flask of water.

Everyone listening, which consisted of a few men and their children, clapped and some of the kids excitedly jumped up and down with their hands raised.

I looked over at Wu Yan and Chen Ru who were beside me, and they both had proud smiles covering their faces.

As I looked at them, a question popped into my mind which I quickly blurted out,

"Why do both of you feel pride when seeing your ancestor's statues, even though you've never met them in person?"

They both looked over at me strangely and said,

"Of course, I'd feel pride big brother!

"Just knowing the blood of such a mighty figure runs in my veins makes me feel better about myself!"

"Senior Brother, I may not know him personally, however, my ancestor is the reason why I am alive and part of the reason why humans are thriving right now!

"So of course, I'd feel prideful of being their descendant!"

After responding they both asked curiously,

"Why do you ask?"

I realised it was a very stupid question, therefore to move on from it and to cover up my embarrassment, I said,

"Because the both of you are nothing like them!

"Even their statues portrayed them with steel-faced expressions, as if they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, whereas the both of you are never serious about anything!"

They both laughed at my joke, and then we soon moved on from this place and made our way to the next section- The Divine Botany.

This place was way more interesting than the historic street, as, unlike that musty old square area...

...This place was a feast for the eyes.

The 'Fields Of Blossoming Divinty' was a huge area of greenery that spanned multiple kilometres of land. Every part of the land had various flowers or plants that were of a multitude of colours and shades.

You could stroll through this beautiful scenery by following the nicely paved paths that branched out in multiple directions and If you looked at the whole thing from up above, then the paths would form a picture of a lotus.

It was open to anyone who wanted to see it in it's glory, and many people refer to it as a paradise of sorts!

The three of us strolled through this paradisical area. The warm sunlight shone down on us and on the fields of flowers which made them look even more beautiful- It's fanciful name was not in vain.

The scents that assaulted us were pleasant and calming, which made this stroll even more relaxing.

Throughout the walk, Wu Yan had now started to constantly talk about anything he could think of to Chen Ru.

This was great, as in the beginning Wu Yan was still very nervous and couldn't muster the courage to say what he wanted unless I gave him a push.

Of course, I'd also joined in at some points, however, I was mainly keeping to myself and enjoying the serenity of the garden.

Once again, everything went just like planned, there were no interruptions.

The boldest move Wu Yan had made up till now was jumping into the sea of flowers and plucking one which was of Chen Ru's favourite colour. She was very happy about this gesture and thanked him and hugged him.

I'd be lying if I wasn't cringing a bit whilst watching Wu Yan try to flirt, however it was expected.

We spent a while there just appreciating the glamourous view, then headed off to the part of this 'date' I was looking most forward to...Getting food.

Now don't get me wrong, visiting the historical significant statues which spanned back multiple millenia and seeing the stunning view of thousands of flowers was a great experience... But nothing beats having a good meal.

Especially when it's from my favourite bakery that I've not had in a long time- eight years to be exact.

I led the way forward- since I was the only one who knew this place- whilst both Wu Yan and Chen Ru were getting immersed in talking about their past together.

We soon arrived in front of a stone building that had a large sign on the front door saying,

'Xiao's Bakery'

The building was nothing impressive from the outside, but the products sold here were of the finest quality.

Looking at the bakery, Wu Yan and Chen Ru both looked quite confused at why they were standing outside this place. Probably because they expected me to have taken them to one of the fancy and reputed restaurants or bakeries around here.

I said to them as I walked over to the door,

"Let's go in then!

"I can assure you that although this place doesn't look as extravagant as other places, it beats them in every other aspect!"

Without waiting, I opened the old wooden door.

As I do so and enter, a bell rings throughout the empty bakery indicating that a customer has arrived.

As you entered this place, your nose would be filled with the aroma of fresh pastry goodness that draws you in like a magnet.

This is especially so for me, as I almost always stuck to a high protein diet- unless it's a special occasion- therefore barely ate anything like pastries.

The reason I did so, was simple. I figured that I'd have to do this as it would bring me the greatest advantage over other cultivators here as, from what I knew, the people here do not care about diets and the like.

And to some extent it is understandable, as cultivation here makes up for almost anything- For example, if you cultivate hard enough, then all the fat you put on would be expelled from you after breaking through to the next major realm.

Cultivators also are able to stop requiring food or water after reaching nascent soul realm, as by then they can just rely on Qi to function.

Therefore no one has ever bothered to care about the benefits of different foods, however, I've always had my speculation with that. I mean, would someone who has had a great diet alongside good training really not be any different to someone who hasn't had one?

Another reason why consuming less food was the 'trend' here, was because cultivators usually put themselves on a pedestal compared to ordinary humans- as if they weren't normal people at one point.

This therefore meant that once cultivators reach a level of requiring less food, theywould almost always do so unless they were eating out of fun.

One last reason why cultivators avoid food was because during long sessions of closed cultivation, they would never consider stopping in order to eat food that they didn't require?

And even though me eating healthily probably wouldn't allow me to cross realms, I still wished to try and incorporate a good diet even as I got stronger and my need for food decreased as it couldn't hurt.

Anyways, upon walking in the first thing you'd be able to spot would be a wide counter directly across from the entrance. Behind the counter was a bald old man sitting down in a simple white robe.

He looked over at us, and his eyebrows raised a bit as he spotted me.

He almost immediately exclaimed,

"Hoho, if it isn't the Bu brat from nearly a decade ago!

"Never thought you'd be back after you failed to haggle over the price of my buns. I remember clearly how you resolutely told me with an enraged expression that you'd never come to this quote on quote, 'Shitty, run down, unpopular, scam shop'.

Seems to me like someone has had to swallow their words, hahaha!"

We all approached the wide wooden counter and looked up where there was a sign listing all the different pastry selections.

From savoury goods such as handmade rice balls to duck sandwiches, all the way to sweet pastries such as a cherry cake!

If I hadn't analysed these foods before and found out about their makers, I'd have believed someone other than me had reincarnated into this Xianxia world!

I rebutted his words by saying,

"I can see that you're just as polite and customer friendly as last I remembered, and it's quite clear that you still can't run a business even though you are long past your expiration date!

"Just hurry up and get me a duck sandwich, six rice balls, and a sweet bean bun alongside whatever my friends want!

"And make it snappy!"

The old man's calm expression remained as he sighed and said,

"Clearly your parents still haven't taught you the meaning of respect, you little pest. You even have the gall to tell this poor aged man with a sore back to make your order snappy!"

"Haiz, kids these days don't know the immensity of heaven and earth these days. They can't even respect the elderly!"

He then turned and looked at Chen Ru and Wu Yan blankly and asked impatiently,

"So what you brats wanting, I've not got all day!"

As he said that, both of them started to list their orders and off the old man went to the back to get the food. Soon he returned with three bags.

He stuck them on the counter and said whilst putting his wrinkly hand out,

"Ten silvers, no more no less."

I didn't argue back and put ten silvers in his hand, each one of us then grabbed our bags with our orders then turned around and left.

As we were leaving, the old man shouted,

"How come you are leaving so fast?

"Can't you spare this old man a few minutes of your time to help him alleviate his boredom, just a little?"

I kept on moving away steadily and as I reached the door, I turned my head and yelled,

"Sorry gramps, I've got places to be. Maybe I could consider if you weren't a baldy though!

"Or if you asked your granddaughter to swing by here, then I'd be glad to stay for a little longer!

"So cheerio you senile old man and I hope you calm that temper of yours for next time. Otherwise, we'll be having a rematch over your extortionate prices!

"I mean which person would other than you is so thick-skinned as to charge ten silvers for some stupid food!"

I then made my way out and slammed the door shut behind me.

Both Chen Ru and Wu Yan, who left before me, had odd expressions on their faces.

Chen Ru couldn't hold her curiosity back and asked,

"Do you know the grandpa behind the counter well, because you both seemed quite close?

"He even wanted to have a chat with you!"

Wu Yan also cut in and said,

"Yeah big brother, I knew you were good at making friends, but it seems like even temperamental oldies like you!"

I fake coughed and responded,

"Me and that stingy baldy are not close!

"I only know him well because he makes some revolutionary pastries that suit my tastes, and he also tells some good stories once in a while."

"I mean, I wouldn't put it past him if he's actually delusional because the stories he makes up are so vivid that I almost believed them!

"One time he told me a story about the metamorphosis of a carp that leapt over a dragon gate, or he even described to me stories how he had raised immortal emperors!

"They were all ridiculous, but it still made for some interesting entertainment.

"Anyways, let's hurry up and move quickly so that this food stays fresh."

They both nodded and took out their fancy spirit swords, then we flew away over the horizon.

As we flew, I let out a deep sigh and thanked the heavens that I'm such a composed and sensible person.

Why?

Because of this...

===============================

{Analyse}

[Error]

[Difference in power level between target and host is too large, System cannot analyse target]

=============================

This was what happened when I used [Analyse] on the old man.

Now... I'd received this error message from the System once before when I used analyse on the old man when I was still a non-cultivator.

But I'd thought that would change now that I am a Qi Condensation cultivator!

So when I got this again, naturally, it freaked me out as it meant the old man I was just making fun of earlier was an ancient monster in disguise!

It was honestly nerve-wracking just standing there as I knew that if I had pissed him off too much then he could swat me to death.

But similarly, if I acted scared or unusual back there he would probably be able to tell that I'd caught onto his true identity and might send me to Yama.

Therefore I acted with the same attitude as I had eight years ago to not arouse any suspicion because it would be very lame if I'd died due to getting on the bad side of some overpowered grandpa.

Oh, and you may ask why I hadn't just avoided the place entirely as I already knew he was an anomaly eight years ago?

Well to that I say... he makes some damn good grub and always has interesting stories to tell.

So why not take some risks here and there?

...